Illinois Hoops Summer Recruiting Thread

Dan · Jul 1, 2012, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Groce is missing the point (guard)

"Any time you talk about our system," he said, "it starts with great point guard play.."

"From a personality standpoint, we look for guys that are in attack mode," he continued. "And we look for guys that are a connector, not a divider. They have to understand their job is to connect the team: 'Yes, I have the ability to score if I need to, but I also understand my job is to connect the team.' He has to be able to bring the team together.

"When you put all those things together, that's why I'm probably really picky about who we have at that particular position."

Klee

Dan · Jul 1, 2012, 07:37 AM

2012 July Evaluation Period:

Wednesday, July 11th - Sunday, July 15th
Wednesday, July 18th - Sunday, July 22nd
Wednesday, July 25th - Sunday, July 29th

Dan · Jul 1, 2012, 09:18 AM

Malcolm Hill recovering from blood clot in his arm, could be out 3 months.

Quote:

Malcolm Hill in hospital with blood clot

"I'm taking two shots a day," Hill said Saturday evening. "I'm probably going to be out three months (from basketball). I'm doing better. I'm probably going to be released (Sunday) or Monday."

http://www.bnd.com/2012/07/01/223073...ll-player.html

MTILLINOIS · Jul 1, 2012, 10:19 AM

Thanks for posting the link Dan. From a bb stand point, this is a tough break for Hill. For his health, it's the best that the root problem was found and he'll sit for some time.

HeartofaChampion · Jul 1, 2012, 10:59 AM

Wow. Serious stuff. Hope it gets corrected for the long term. Hopefully he's 100-pct healthy by October so he can get ready for his SR season and suffer no long-term effects. Kid's a good talent.

HeartofaChampion · Jul 1, 2012, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctblaisdell83

HOC - good to see that your source is still getting good info first hand. Here's hoping he can also gain the access to staff that he (and we

) enjoyed under the previous regime.

Agreed, 83. This staff is very friendly and personable but also more tight lipped about what they're doing. JG and his assts haven't responded with info to questions about the team and recruits outside of generalities. They're very positive, I'm told, but not forthcoming about info "around the water cooler" so to speak as the prior staff was, particularly BW. Especially in their first year, they want to create a positive culture free of gossip, complaining and the like. Makes sense. Plus it takes time to build relationships and trust with coaches, especially in the day and age of the Internet. Plus my insider is looking for a new job, so he hasn't been around as much this spring/summer.

DaytonIllini · Jul 1, 2012, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan

Malcolm Hill recovering from blood clot in his arm, could be out 3 months.

Wow. That doesn't sound good at all. 3 months would be quite a quick return from a DVT (and I am assuming its deep because a superficial clot would usually not be a problem requiring a long recovery). Hopefully the kid will be okay at some point.

15 year old don't get blood clots typically. They will need to find out why he got this. Obviously you cannot play a contact sport at a high level when you are on anticoagulation.

Prayers going out to Malcolm and his family.

HsvIllini · Jul 1, 2012, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaytonIllini

Wow. That doesn't sound good at all. 3 months would be quite a quick return from a DVT (and I am assuming its deep because a superficial clot would usually not be a problem requiring a long recovery). Hopefully the kid will be okay at some point.

15 year old don't get blood clots typically. They will need to find out why he got this. Obviously you cannot play a contact sport at a high level when you are on anticoagulation.

Prayers going out to Malcolm and his family.

I was thinking the same thing - that's very young for something like this to happen. Fortunate they caught it now.

touper · Jul 1, 2012, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaytonIllini

Wow. That doesn't sound good at all. 3 months would be quite a quick return from a DVT (and I am assuming its deep because a superficial clot would usually not be a problem requiring a long recovery). Hopefully the kid will be okay at some point.

15 year old don't get blood clots typically. They will need to find out why he got this. Obviously you cannot play a contact sport at a high level when you are on anticoagulation.

Prayers going out to Malcolm and his family.

Absolutely. What potential causes could there be for a 15 year old to have a blood clot? Obviously speaking generally, not specifically in MH's case.

Lab Rat · Jul 1, 2012, 01:07 PM

Blood clots are very concerning, almost everyone has had a family member or close friend affected by blood clots they scare me as much as cancer, DaytonIllini you sound like a well informed individual. I hope this not a continual problem, it is unusual at this age. He is in very capable hands in Children's Hospital.

IlliniSpine · Jul 1, 2012, 01:27 PM

As an orthopedic surgeon, I can tell you that this is not common in young athletes unless there is an undiagnosed clotting disorder. Even with a history of trauma to the extremity, this would warrant blood tests to see if he has any of the many forms of clotting disorders. Since he is a high level athlete and so young, I'm sure the hospitalization was more to be safe and buy time until they can exhaust their diagnostic capabilities.

CAHALL15 · Jul 1, 2012, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by touper

Absolutely. What potential causes could there be for a 15 year old to have a blood clot? Obviously speaking generally, not specifically in MH's case.

Traveling. Im honestly surprised more kids don't get DVTs. He has not had surgery lately so that eliminates that cause so im stuck in him not stretching his legs and being cooped up on a plane, bus, or car for hours on end. The lovenox injections work great so there should be no complications from that other than bruising.

IlliniX · Jul 1, 2012, 03:14 PM

Hope he finds his man. I think any system would benefit from the above attributes and I am glad we have a coach that sees that. Especially the part about being a connector not at divider.

IlliniSpine · Jul 1, 2012, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAHALL15

Traveling. Im honestly surprised more kids don't get DVTs. He has not had surgery lately so that eliminates that cause so im stuck in him not stretching his legs and being cooped up on a plane, bus, or car for hours on end. The lovenox injections work great so there should be no complications from that other than bruising.

Surprised more kids don't get DVT while traveling (on long plane rides/long car rides)? That is because it is EXTREMELY rare in kids, especially in the upper extremity (even in adults).

Likely secondary to an undiagnosed blood clotting disorder or from the trauma to his arm (also uncommon).

DaytonIllini · Jul 1, 2012, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IlliniSpine

Surprised more kids don't get DVT while traveling (on long plane rides/long car rides)? That is because it is EXTREMELY rare in kids, especially in the upper extremity (even in adults).

Likely secondary to an undiagnosed blood clotting disorder or from the trauma to his arm (also uncommon).

Agreed with the bolded for sure. In his age group other considerations could be something like an anomalous rib or large cervical transverse spine or hypertrophied musculature causing extrinsic compression. It could also be Paget-Schroetter Syndrome which would usually be in the dominant arm. I don't know which hand Malcolm prefers. Of course more worrisome conditions causing SVT compression are also possible. He'll need a lot of tests. Hopefully it is Paget-Schroetter Syndrome or extrinsic compression from some benign cause.

illinibb76 · Jul 1, 2012, 04:51 PM

Didn't Andy Kauffman have something similar and they had to remove a rib because of an obstruction?

DaytonIllini · Jul 1, 2012, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Scott Burgess‏@scott_chihoops

Class of 2015 G Jordan Ash @JordanAsh_23 talks #Illinois visit. http://chicagohoops.hoops247.com/ind...=34:recruiting

Sure Shot · Jul 1, 2012, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaytonIllini

Agreed with the bolded for sure. In his age group other considerations could be something like an anomalous rib or large cervical transverse spine or hypertrophied musculature causing extrinsic compression. It could also be Paget-Schroetter Syndrome which would usually be in the dominant arm. I don't know which hand Malcolm prefers. Of course more worrisome conditions causing SVT compression are also possible. He'll need a lot of tests. Hopefully it is Paget-Schroetter Syndrome or extrinsic compression from some benign cause.

It sure is disquieting to hear all this scary-sounding medical jargon thrown around about our 17-year-old recruit. You just hope this doesn't stunt his development or threaten his ability to make a living playing basketball somewhere down the line.

JaxIllini1 · Jul 1, 2012, 08:08 PM

Kaufmann sat out most of his freshman year because of an upper-body blood clot. As far ias I heard through the Jacksonville grapevine, he never had any further clotting problems. Let's hope for the same for Malcolm.

saltygrapes · Jul 1, 2012, 09:28 PM

On Jabari Parker and Illinois:

People really need to start forgetting about Parker. I've heard some interesting things with him recently, but it all comes down to him going to MSU/Duke. Illinois is a bit too late. Parker understands a commitment to Illinois would mean a lot more than him just playing there for a year, and could spearhead a revival of Chicago -> Champaign. Not only that but NC contenders can easily be knocked out in the 2nd round and then your season as the #1 recruit at Duke can seem meaningless. Going to IL would have another level of meaning.

But the coaching relationship just isn't there. His dad and Parham go back, but I don't think it's enough. And neither do a lot of well-connected people. K and Izzo have recruited this kid for 5 years now. He's comfortable there with them and those programs and he fits in perfectly to the lineups of top teams.

But the point I should be stressing is that while we have followed Jabari for a long time, and while he's the #1 recruit who's a great kid, he's not the last top talent that Chicago will produce. It will suck to likely see him go elsewhere, but that shouldn't deter anyone from feeling good about where Illinois is going recruiting wise.

Chicago guys are buzzing about the Illinois program right now; area coaches love the new coaching staff (Parham obviously being the catalyst for that, but the hiring of Parham kind of makes them like everyone else a whole lot more, as childish as that sounds) and so do kids. But the crappy fact is that the 2013 class is the one that will suffer from bringing in a new coaching staff. And even then, Illinois still has a good chance at hauling in a very good class. It will just be one without Jabari Parker.

The 2014 class features two top downstate prospects that Illinois has a great chance with, which should help erase any sting of the big (literally) fish going elsewhere. Furthermore there aren't as many scholarships available in this class.

The 2015 class is where this staff will get a chance to shine. These kids are just starting their recruitments, so they're starting on even footing. Furthermore, with the newfound level of support and excitement from city coaches, there will be a much more positive vibe about going to Illinois and these kids will have that in the front of their mind from the beginning. This is the class where the quotes such as "we can turn Illinois into a top-5 team" from Rob Smith will really be tested. Because the staff will have been here, relationships will be established, and the new direction of the program will be settled.

I've already heard great things regarding Illinois's recruitments of basically all of the 2015 elites; including but not limited to Charles Matthews, D.J. Williams, Jordan Ash and Prentiss Nixon.

If Illinois can scrap together solid '13 and '14 classes and then make it to the tournament these next few seasons, the '15 class is going to turn out awesome, and will make everyone forget that Jabari Parker went to Duke for one season.

illiniparkie · Jul 1, 2012, 10:06 PM

I didn't know that Jordan Ash's backcourt mate with the Illinois Wolves is DMac's little brother, Glynn Watson.

Quote:

The St. Joseph teammates are different types of players. Illinois Wolves director Mike Mullins described Watson as "a true point guard" who plays with "point guard instincts."

"He has Demetri's passing vision, but he has a different body. He's long and lean," said Mullins, who also coached McCamey with Wolves. "He gets out and hawks people (on defense). The MVP of that 15-and-under team was Glynn Watson. He's the first point guard we've had in a while who you're not teaching how to play point guard. He already is a point guard."

Meanwhile, Ash is a super athlete who is refining his skill set. The 6-2 guard has the athletic potential to develop into an elite-level prospect. Ash also has taken recent visits to Indiana, Louisville, Marquette and Purdue.

The left-handed Ash soon will get a seminar in point guard development when he trains with Wolves alums Bryan Mullins (SIU) and Sam Maniscalco (Bradley/Illinois).

http://www.illinihq.com/sports/illin...es-system.html

jhayton · Jul 1, 2012, 10:10 PM

Saltygrapes:

+infinity

We can't get to wrapped up in the first two classes. The staff is behind the 8-ball with them and it's just not easy to recruit top kids to stay at home anymore.

Chilliniwek · Jul 1, 2012, 10:13 PM

Salty,I like your insight...You and a few others here have inside stuff the rest of us don't. But I'm still not giving up on JP. You're most probably right, especially about the 14-15 seasons, and hopefully those will be great.

Thanks for the info...and personally, I would rather him go to MSU than Duke...draw your own conclusions.

jhayton · Jul 1, 2012, 10:35 PM

I think this is one situation where I would rather see him go to Duke. Every time we played MSU it would be like salt in the wounds.

This is one case where if he has to go somewhere else I wish it wouldn't be a BIG school. Alexander, Nunn, Okafor meh. They can play for whoever they want to (obviously I would be ecstatic if any of them played for us), but JP going to MSU would just be a perfect illustration of how little Chicago cares about UI hoops.

ct3illini · Jul 1, 2012, 10:50 PM

Is Parker even coming down to C-U for an unofficial this summer, like so many others have? If not, then there obviously is no chance. It seems UI has had a bunch of such visits recently, why not Parker? If there was real interest in UI still, it seems he would have checked out Groce already (or will soon)...

Jul 1, 2012, 09:28 PM	#620
saltygrapes Posts: 657	On Jabari Parker and Illinois: People really need to start forgetting about Parker. I've heard some interesting things with him recently, but it all comes down to him going to MSU/Duke. Illinois is a bit too late. Parker understands a commitment to Illinois would mean a lot more than him just playing there for a year, and could spearhead a revival of Chicago -> Champaign. Not only that but NC contenders can easily be knocked out in the 2nd round and then your season as the #1 recruit at Duke can seem meaningless. Going to IL would have another level of meaning. But the coaching relationship just isn't there. His dad and Parham go back, but I don't think it's enough. And neither do a lot of well-connected people. K and Izzo have recruited this kid for 5 years now. He's comfortable there with them and those programs and he fits in perfectly to the lineups of top teams. But the point I should be stressing is that while we have followed Jabari for a long time, and while he's the #1 recruit who's a great kid, he's not the last top talent that Chicago will produce. It will suck to likely see him go elsewhere, but that shouldn't deter anyone from feeling good about where Illinois is going recruiting wise. Chicago guys are buzzing about the Illinois program right now; area coaches love the new coaching staff (Parham obviously being the catalyst for that, but the hiring of Parham kind of makes them like everyone else a whole lot more, as childish as that sounds) and so do kids. But the crappy fact is that the 2013 class is the one that will suffer from bringing in a new coaching staff. And even then, Illinois still has a good chance at hauling in a very good class. It will just be one without Jabari Parker. The 2014 class features two top downstate prospects that Illinois has a great chance with, which should help erase any sting of the big (literally) fish going elsewhere. Furthermore there aren't as many scholarships available in this class. The 2015 class is where this staff will get a chance to shine. These kids are just starting their recruitments, so they're starting on even footing. Furthermore, with the newfound level of support and excitement from city coaches, there will be a much more positive vibe about going to Illinois and these kids will have that in the front of their mind from the beginning. This is the class where the quotes such as "we can turn Illinois into a top-5 team" from Rob Smith will really be tested. Because the staff will have been here, relationships will be established, and the new direction of the program will be settled. I've already heard great things regarding Illinois's recruitments of basically all of the 2015 elites; including but not limited to Charles Matthews, D.J. Williams, Jordan Ash and Prentiss Nixon. If Illinois can scrap together solid '13 and '14 classes and then make it to the tournament these next few seasons, the '15 class is going to turn out awesome, and will make everyone forget that Jabari Parker went to Duke for one season. __________________ If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the Up button.

Jul 1, 2012, 10:13 PM	#623
Chilliniwek Location: Chicagoland Posts: 392	Salty,I like your insight...You and a few others here have inside stuff the rest of us don't. But I'm still not giving up on JP. You're most probably right, especially about the 14-15 seasons, and hopefully those will be great. Thanks for the info...and personally, I would rather him go to MSU than Duke...draw your own conclusions. Last edited by Dan; Jul 1, 2012 at 10:35 PM.

Jul 1, 2012, 07:37 AM	#602
Dan Admin Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 26,033	2012 July Evaluation Period: Wednesday, July 11th - Sunday, July 15th Wednesday, July 18th - Sunday, July 22nd Wednesday, July 25th - Sunday, July 29th

Jul 1, 2012, 10:19 AM	#604
MTILLINOIS Location: Chicago Posts: 4,216	Thanks for posting the link Dan. From a bb stand point, this is a tough break for Hill. For his health, it's the best that the root problem was found and he'll sit for some time.

Jul 1, 2012, 10:59 AM	#605
HeartofaChampion Posts: 10,337	Wow. Serious stuff. Hope it gets corrected for the long term. Hopefully he's 100-pct healthy by October so he can get ready for his SR season and suffer no long-term effects. Kid's a good talent.

Jul 1, 2012, 01:07 PM	#610
Lab Rat Banned Location: SouthEastern Illinois Posts: 152	Blood clots are very concerning, almost everyone has had a family member or close friend affected by blood clots they scare me as much as cancer, DaytonIllini you sound like a well informed individual. I hope this not a continual problem, it is unusual at this age. He is in very capable hands in Children's Hospital.

Jul 1, 2012, 01:27 PM	#611
IlliniSpine Location: Seattle Area, WA Posts: 1,177	As an orthopedic surgeon, I can tell you that this is not common in young athletes unless there is an undiagnosed clotting disorder. Even with a history of trauma to the extremity, this would warrant blood tests to see if he has any of the many forms of clotting disorders. Since he is a high level athlete and so young, I'm sure the hospitalization was more to be safe and buy time until they can exhaust their diagnostic capabilities.

Jul 1, 2012, 03:14 PM	#613
IlliniX Banned Posts: 172	Hope he finds his man. I think any system would benefit from the above attributes and I am glad we have a coach that sees that. Especially the part about being a connector not at divider.

Jul 1, 2012, 04:51 PM	#616
illinibb76 Posts: 20	Didn't Andy Kauffman have something similar and they had to remove a rib because of an obstruction?

Jul 1, 2012, 08:08 PM	#619
JaxIllini1 Posts: 56	Kaufmann sat out most of his freshman year because of an upper-body blood clot. As far ias I heard through the Jacksonville grapevine, he never had any further clotting problems. Let's hope for the same for Malcolm.

Jul 1, 2012, 10:10 PM	#622
jhayton Location: Osceola, WI Posts: 638	Saltygrapes: +infinity We can't get to wrapped up in the first two classes. The staff is behind the 8-ball with them and it's just not easy to recruit top kids to stay at home anymore.

Jul 1, 2012, 10:35 PM	#624
jhayton Location: Osceola, WI Posts: 638	I think this is one situation where I would rather see him go to Duke. Every time we played MSU it would be like salt in the wounds. This is one case where if he has to go somewhere else I wish it wouldn't be a BIG school. Alexander, Nunn, Okafor meh. They can play for whoever they want to (obviously I would be ecstatic if any of them played for us), but JP going to MSU would just be a perfect illustration of how little Chicago cares about UI hoops.

Jul 1, 2012, 10:50 PM	#625
ct3illini Posts: 245	Is Parker even coming down to C-U for an unofficial this summer, like so many others have? If not, then there obviously is no chance. It seems UI has had a bunch of such visits recently, why not Parker? If there was real interest in UI still, it seems he would have checked out Groce already (or will soon)...